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Hurricane Olivia (2242)
WARNING: SOME USERS MAY FIND SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE GRAPHIC. |type= Category 6 hurricane |image location= |image caption= |formed= September 5, 2242 |dissipated= September 29, 2242 (extratropical after September 27) |highest winds= 260 mph |wind type= 1-min |lowest pressure= 823 mbar |damages= $305 billion |direct fatalities= 34,859 |indirect fatalities= 205 |missing= 139 |areas affected= Lesser Antilles, Venezuela, ABC Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Yucatan Peninsula, US Gulf Coast, US East Coast, The Bahamas, United Kingdom |hurricane season= 2242 Atlantic hurricane season }} Hurricane Olivia in 2242 was a devastating category 6 hurricane that wrought havoc across much of the basin, especially the United States, during most of September. Originating from a tropical wave, the system was initially slow to intensify, but was able to make several landfalls as a major hurricane. The system was responsible for thousands of deaths, many along the low lying US Gulf Coast, which was inundated by storm surges up to 15 meters high in some areas. Many cities were reduced to wrecked wastelands, leaving bodies strewn over the remains of streets, and at least $305 billion in damages. During most of it's life, Olivia was violent in intensity, peaking with winds of 260 mph, and a minimal atmospheric pressure measured at 823 mbar. Even after weakening and emerging into the Atlantic, the system was forced to recurve, and managed to undergo a relatively rapid intensification, bringing the system over the Bahamas as a category 5 hurricane, and destroying many of the islands in the process. The system would make another landfall in the US, this time in New Orleans, Louisiana as a category 3 system, before moving over areas affected by the systems passage only days before. This time, after emerging into the Atlantic, Olivia curved around a trough of low pressure, and was forced out into the Atlantic, where it became an extratropical cyclone a few days later whilst situated about midway between Newfoundland and Ireland. The remains of Olivia would persist for 2 more days, continuing on a northeastern track, until dissipating to the northeast of the United Kingdom, midway between Iceland and Norway. Meteorological history The origins of Olivia were complex, but can be traced first off all to a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa on September 3. Moving slowly westwards, the system was able to slowly organise, and after interacting and absorbing another tropical wave to its west, the system was able to tap into the intertropical convergence zone, helping convection to increase, and allowing the disturbance to become a tropical depression early on September 5 about 1000 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Continuing towards the west, the depression was able to intensify into a tropical storm the following day, before separating from the intertropical convergence zone, and becoming a hurricane by midday on September 7 about midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and Lesser Antilles. Being influenced by the subtropical ridge to its north, Olivia began to gradually intensify, and by the time the system passed through the Lesser Antilles late on September 8, a clear, well defined 15 nmi wide eye became evident in satellite imagery, signalling its intensification into a category 4 hurricane. Whilst moving through the islands, Olivia's rate of intensification was temporarily slowed, before the system entered an anomalously warm and moist Caribbean, where the system continued to intensify, becoming a category 5 hurricane late the following day, before turning to the west-northwest as the ridge to its north amplified, pushing the system to even more favourable conditions as a result. Late on September 10, Olivia stunned scientists when a reconnaissance aircraft found winds approaching 220 mph, indicating its intensification into a category 6 hurricane as a result. Olivia would continue to intensify over the next day or so, before making landfall in Cuba shortly after reaching its peak winds of 260 mph, with an atmospheric pressure of 823 mbar. Whilst crossing Cuba, Olivia's structure degraded, as the system moved around the edge of the subtropical ridge, bringing it into the Gulf of Mexico as a category 5 hurricane. Continuing on its now due north path, Olivia made landfall near Tallahassee, Florida with winds of 165 mph, before moving inland and slowly weakening due to increasing land interaction. Upon emerging back out into the southwestern Atlantic on September 13, Olivia began to reorganise, moving westwards and then southeastwards as a blocking high centered over Bermuda prevented the system taking the more traditional northeast track followed by most Atlantic hurricanes in this area. The following morning, Olivia's cloud structure improved, and a central dense overcast redeveloped over it's center of circulation, signalling its reintensification into a tropical storm, and then after a clouded eye became evident early on September 15, Olivia was reupgraded to hurricane intensity, before the eye cleared out and cloud tops cooled, allowing the hurricane to intensify to category 2 intensity as the ridge amplified again, forcing Olivia to turn westwards as a result. On September 16, Olivia's 12 nmi wide eye cleared out, and became wrapped by an intense ring of very deep convection, signalling its reintensification into a major hurricane as the ridge forced the system back to the west again, enabling it to intensify into a category 4 hurricane early on September 17 as the eye became more symmetrical. The following day, Olivia tore through the Bahamas as a category 5 hurricane, before making landfall in Cuba as a category 5 hurricane still later the same day. Emerging into the Caribbean again early the following morning, Olivia weakened to a category 3 hurricane briefly as an eyewall replacement cycle occurred, before the system made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula several hours later as a category 4 hurricane. Moving inland and turning back to the west yet again as the system became established under an upper level anticyclone, Olivia emerged into the Bay of Campeche as a category 1 hurricane on September 19, where the system began to once again organise. After moving first northwest and then to the north, Olivia began to reintensify, and then made it's final landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a top end category 3 hurricane on September 20, before turning to the northeast and weakening as it moved further inland. During midday on Sepetember 22, Olivia emerged into the western Atlantic as a tropical depression, where it once again began to reintensify, becoming a tropical storm again early on September 23 as the system began to round a stationary trough of low pressure, becoming a hurricane once again 24 hours later, and then a major hurricane again later the same day as the system finished rounding the trough and accelerated towards the northeast, reaching a brief tertiary peak as a minimal category 4 hurricane the following day before weakening as dry air, increasingly hostile shear and decreasing sea surface temperature finally began to take their toll on the system. Olivia weakened to a tropical storm late on September 24 as it turned east-northeast whilst located about midway between Newfoundland and Ireland, before becoming extratropical later that day, before briefly affecting the United Kingdom on September as it was dissipating. Preparations Upon the formation of Tropical Storm Olivia on September 6, various governments in the Lesser Antilles issued tropical storm watches and warnings for their respective areas. Upon Olivia becoming a hurricane the following day, these alerts were upgraded to hurricane watches and warnings. Most of the islands in the Lesser Antilles took appropriate action as the hurricane continued to intensify whilst approaching the region, with walls of sandbags being placed in the most vulnerable areas, and emergency supplies set up ready for the arrival of the storm. In addition to this, 14 hurricane shelters were opened, being able to hold 45,000 people safely during the storm. In Jamaica, hurricane watches and warnings were posted on September 7,with walls of sandbags being put up against the most vulnerable structures, and emergency supplies were readied for distribution in case of a direct landfall. 3 hurricane shelters were also opened, although one was later closed as the system moved further south than forecast. In Cuba, the first hurricane watches and warnings were posted on September 8th, and all homeowners were ordered to fasten the hurricane straps on their houses to their foundations, and get their emergency supplies ready. In addition to this, 32,000 people were evacuated from the Cayman Islands and parts of low lying Cuban areas in anticipation of the storm. On September 16, the next round of hurricane watches and warnings were issued, and once again, homeowners were told to fasten their hurricane straps on their homes. For those int eh mountains, a mandatory evacuation order was issued, which saw 12,000 people leave the area as a result of the approaching hurricane. In the United States, preparations began on September 9 with the issuance of hurricane watches and warnings from the Florida Keys to the Alabama/Louisiana coast. In addition to this, 2 million people were evacuated further inland near the Alabama and Florida state borders in preparation for the storm. For those that wanted to stay, an order was placed for them to stock up on supplies, as aid was not expected to reach the region for several days to weeks after the event. In addition to these actions, states of emergency were issued across the region as well. On September 16, the southern portions of Florida were once again placed under hurricane watches and warnings, with 500,000 people being evacuated in the region, and a state of emergency being declared as well. As Olivia moved back into the Gulf of Mexico on September 17, more hurricane watches and warnings were issued, and more states of emergency were declared. In the Bahamas, hurricane watches were posted on September 8th, but were later cancelled. On September 16th, the government of the Bahamas issued more hurricane watches and warnings were issued, along with the issuance of emergency supplies. A hurricane shelter capable of holding 10,000 people was also opened on Grand Bahama as well. Impacts Recovery Retirement Due to the extreme nature of the system across much of the basin, both in terms of intensity and impacts, particularly in the United States, the name Olivia was removed from the Atlantic naming lists in the Spring of 2243. It was replaced with Olana for the 2249 season as a result. The name Olivia will not be used to name another tropical cyclone occurring within the Atlantic basin as a result of this. Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Deadly storms Category:Destructive storms Category:Retired names Category:Record storms